Press Release

THE LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC PRESENTS RADICAL LIGHT: A CONCERT FOR STEVEN STUCKY, A FREE TRIBUTE CONCERT TO HONOR THE LATE COMPOSER

Feb. 26, 2016

The Program, Led by Esa-Pekka Salonen, Features the LA Phil New Music Group, Piano Spheres, Jacaranda's Lyris Quartet, and Soprano Hila Plitmann

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 20, 2016, AT 8 PM

WHAT:

The recent passing of Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Steven Stucky has profoundly saddened the music world, and this is particularly true in Los Angeles where he had developed many deeply-rooted relationships. To honor Stucky's immeasurable contributions and long-standing collaboration with the orchestra, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and several partner organizations have announced a special free concert at Walt Disney Concert Hall, Wednesday, April 20, at 8 pm. Conductor Laureate Esa-Pekka Salonen leads the Los Angeles Philharmonic New Music Group in a program also featuring musicians from Los Angeles-area groups Jacaranda, Piano Spheres and the soprano Hila Plitmann. The concert title, Radical Light, taken from a work Stucky composed for the LA Phil, comes from one of his favorite poems, "He Held Radical Light," by A.R. Ammons.

The pieces selected for the program reflect the close friendship between Stucky and Salonen and also illustrate the strong influence of Lutosławski on Stucky. The concert opens with Stucky's Album Leaves for Solo Piano featuring Gloria Cheng of Piano Spheres. Next is Stucky's Nell'ombra, nella luce ("In Shadow, In Light") for String Quartet performed by Jacaranda's resident ensemble, Lyris Quartet. The program continues with Salonen leading the New Music Group and Plitmann in Lutosławski's Chantefleurs et chantefables, followed by Stucky's Boston Fancies.

Stucky embraced and fostered a community of composer friends, several of whom have agreed to compose short works for solo piano which will be interspersed through the program. These composers include Salonen, James Matheson, Anders Hillborg, Mandy Fang, Joseph Phibbs, and others to be announced.

Stucky's relationship with the LA Phil began in 1988, when he was appointed composer-in-residence. He went on to become the orchestra's consulting composer during Salonen's tenure. Stucky won the 2005 Pulitzer Prize in music for his LA Phil-commissioned Second Concerto for Orchestra, which premiered in March 2004.

Stucky earned a Grammy nomination three years ago for "August 4, 1964." Additionally, Gloria Cheng and Chanticleer won Grammys performing his music. In 2012, the LA Phil premiered his "Symphony," and in 2014, his opera, The Classical Style, co-written with Jeremy Denk, was the first opera to premiere at the Ojai Festival. Stucky's last major work for piano, Sonata, which was commissioned by Piano Spheres with support from Meet the Composer, had its world premiere with Gloria Cheng in April 2015.